Carrara bid for AFL

More than a decade after the Brisbane Bears left the Gold Coast, an AFL club is in negotiations to play a couple of home and away matches in the Queensland city in 2006.

Southport Sharks general manager Paul Wyatt said his club are talking to a Melbourne-based AFL team about hosting matches during the Commonwealth Games period when the MCG is unavailable.

"We're talking to one particular team for 2006," said Wyatt. "We haven't determined how many games or when and I'm not going to name the team."

Clubs most likely to be in negotiations include the financially struggling Western Bulldogs, the Kangaroos and Hawthorn.

Wyatt said Carrara Oval - the Bears' old home ground - will be a first choice for any AFL match.

He said any AFL home and away games played on the Gold Coast will help push support for an AFL team on the tourist strip.

"The population of the region, which is around 500,000, would certainly support a national football team," he said. The Sharks have had an application to the league for a licence to host a new or relocated AFL team since 1996.

The AFL has a large following on the Gold Coast and pre-season practice matches in the past have attracted crowds of more than 15,000.

Last year, during the finals series, Collingwood trained at the Southport Sharks ground and drew 5000 spectators.

AFL communications manager Patrick Keane said any scheduling of home and away games on the Gold Coast is up to the league.

But he said there is a chance the AFL could look at Carrara in 2006.

"In 2006 we will obviously face fixturing issues for five or six weeks while the MCG is unavailable because of the Commonwealth Games," he said.

"So obviously there is the capacity there to play one or two matches (at Carrara) out of the premiership season but that depends upon if the ground was up to scratch."